With 2-year-olds this is cute for precisely two minutes, the first time. Then it gets really old, really fast.

In grown men and women, it takes a lot less than two minutes.

And in the people we, the people, elect to run this country, it's down right infuriating.

Or at least it should be. And yet, we keep electing people who throw temper tantrums when they don't get their way. And it seems to get worse every years.

Case in point: At 10 p.m. local time Monday, the federal government shut down, because members of Congress wouldn't agree to fund it.

Of course, getting to this point has really been a series of temper tantrums thrown by grown men.

You had the dozens of failed votes to defund Obamacare. A program, let's not forget, that Congress wrote. A program that required push carts to transport around the Capital when it was initially approved.

Then we had the beginnings of the threats of a shutdown if the president didn't agree to defund the health care program.

And then the negotiations, or lack there of began.

Finally, we had the 21-hour speech (not technically a filibuster) by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz who was delay a Senate vote on the continuing resolution that would fund the government and stop the shutdown.

He talked about his shoes, he read "Green Eggs and Ham," he impersonated Darth Vader, he talked about his love for White Castle, he quoted a speech by Ashton Kutcher (a Democrat by the way) and invoked "Duck Dynasty."

Then he turned around and voted for the resolution.

In fact, the Senate voted unanimously against shutting down the government.

The House of Representatives disagreed.

Next up, we get to live through the all-out war that is coming over the debt-ceiling.

Among the preview of demands that have been released by House Republicans that have to be met before they will approve a one-year increase:

Approval of the Keystone pipeline.

One-year delay of Obamacare implementation.

Cut $120 billion from federal health programs over the next decade.

Increase offshore oil drilling and energy production on federal lands.

Block federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

Restrict most forms of federal industry regulation.

In other words, House Republicans are willing to allow the United States to default on its debts if their demands are not met.

More temper tantrums, if not downright hostage taking.

Maybe its time for America's elected officials to remember that they're not 2 years old anymore. They're grown men and women who should be able to work through their differences without shutting down our government or damaging the country's credit rating.

Maybe it's time for the American people to remember that we elect grown ups to run our country, not children.